Shortness of breath — also known as dyspnea — is a common problem among people with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
While it’s hard to know exactly how prevalent it is, research suggests that up to 60 percent of patients with advanced lung cancer experience dyspnea.
A person with dyspnea might be able to breathe normally while sitting or standing, “but [if] they take some steps, go up a flight of stairs, or walk around the mall, [they] feel short of breath,” says Jonathan Riess, MD, an oncologist and a lung cancer specialist at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, California.
A number of causes, including blood clots, infection, fluid buildup, or growth of the cancer, or even anxiety, can cause shortness of breath in people with NSCLC. “Finding the cause is critical to treating the symptoms,” Dr. Riess says.
If you experience any worsening in your breathing, it’s important to let your doctor know right away, says Riess, so that he or she can try to identify the main cause and treat it. In addition to any medical treatments your doctor may prescribe, there are strategies to help you manage shortness of breath.
1. Quit Smoking
2. Move, and Take Deep Breaths
If the alveoli — the tiny air sacs in your lungs where carbon dioxide and oxygen are exchanged between the lungs and the bloodstream — aren’t regularly expanded and filled up with air, they can collapse slightly, leading to an increased risk of infection, says Riess. “Taking deep breaths and walking around as much as possible helps keep the lungs open,” he says.
3. Exercise
4. Prevent Infections
5. Be Aware of Adverse Reactions
“It’s kind of an allergic reaction,” Riess explains. Similarly, fluid may accumulate in your lungs because of infection, cancer, or cancer treatments. “Finding out what is causing the fluid buildup is essential to properly treating it,” says Riess.
6. Ask if You Need a Bronchodilator
If you have COPD, NSCLC and its treatment, as well as any lung infections, can aggravate your wheezing and other breathing difficulties. In such cases, Riess says it’s important for people to treat their symptoms with an effective bronchodilator. Sometimes steroids are also necessary to reduce inflammation in the airways. Talk to your doctor about treatment options if you have COPD.
7. Manage Anxiety
8. Consider Palliative Care
Palliative care is designed to improve comfort. Options for shortness of breath may include opioid drugs like morphine, which can reduce the sensation of not being able to breathe adequately. Ask your doctor if there’s a palliative care program where you’re being treated, or if they can refer you to one.
The Takeaway
- Breathlessness, or dyspnea, is a common experience among people with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
- Breathlessness can be caused by a number of things, including anxiety or infections.
- Gentle exercise and deep breaths can improve symptoms and prevent infections.
- It’s important to see a doctor to determine the cause of the breathlessness and receive proper treatment for it if you have NSCLC.
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